Combined desk, table, and book-rest.



PATENTED MAR, 26, 1907.

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APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1907.

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PATENTED MAR.-26, 1907 I 48HEETS-SHEET 8.

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PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907.-

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PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907.

J. W. MEAKER. COMBINED DESK, TABLE, AND BOOK REST.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FIQE.

JOHN W. MEAKER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MEAKER SALES COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

COMBINED DESK, TABLE, AND BOOK-REST.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. MEAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Combined Desk, Table, and Book-Rest, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a combined desk, table, and book-rest, and is an improvement in that class of convertible stands or tables which have a pivotally-mounted top or leaf and a movable cabinet adapted to be dropped below the level of the top when the latter is closed to serve as a table-top and which is I 5 elevated when said top is opened outwardly to convert the device into a writing-desk.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 3 are perspective views of a device embodying my invention, said figures respectively illustrating the device arranged as a table, as a book-rest, and as an 2 5 open writingdesk. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1, showing the upper portion of the main frame in section and the desk-cabinet in end View. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

0 Fig. 6 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 5, but with the parts arranged to serve as a book-rest; and Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of the latch which serves to support the desk-cabinet in its elevated position and which also serves to lock the top in its closed position when serving as a table-top.

Referring to said drawings, A indicates a main frame, the design and finish of which may be widely varied to suit particular fancy. As shown, said frame is made up of a front rail a, a rear rail a, and two side rails a a secured together to form a rectangular structure. This frame may be provided with legs a or may be mounted upon a pod- 4 5 estal or other suitable support.

Pivotally mounted between the side rails a a is a reversible top B, said side rails extending above the front and rear rails a and a a distance'about equal to the thickness of said top to afford supports for the studs or pivots b, which connect the top B to the side rails. These pivots are located one on each side of said top midway between its upper Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 28, 1907. Serial No. 363,638.

Patented March 26, 1907.

and lower surfaces and at a point distant from its front marginal edge. Said top when in its closed position to serve as a table-top rests at its rear margin upon the rear rail a of the main frame and has its front marginal edge 23 substantially coincident with the upper inner edge of the front rail a, so that when said top is swung upwardly and outwardly on its pivots from its position as a table-top (illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4) to convert the device into an open writing-desk, as illustrated in Figs. 3 or 5, the front edge of the top will swing down and rearwardly to engage and lift a desk-cabinet C, that is suitably mounted movably within the main frame A. The desk-cabinet is fully lifted when the pivoted top is swung fully forward to form a horizontal writing-table in front of the cabinet and when so lifted presents a rearwardly and upwardly inclined front, as shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 6. It is sustained in this elevated position by means of a suitable latch or equivalent removable support, so that it may at pleasure be returned to its fully-lowered position within the main frame when the top is again swung over backwardly to form the table-top but it is a feature of my invention that the reversible top B is movable independently of the desk-cabinet, so that after the cabinet has been brought to and locked in its raised position the top B may be swung back from its outwardly-low ered position (shown in Figs. 3 and 5) against the inclined front of the cabinet, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, in which position it has the advantage of serving the new function of an inolined book-rest adapted to support a book or sheet of music in a convenient position to be read by a person in a sitting position before the device. In this position of the top B its front edge, swinging downward inside the front rail (1 of the main frame, is carried below the top of said front rail, and the latter therefore serves as a foot-rest for the book or music-sheet placed upon the inclined top.

In the preferred construction illustrated in the drawings the desk-cabinet is movably mounted within the main stand-frame A by providing said cabinet with metal strap-arms D D at its sides or ends, which arms are provided at their front projecting extremities (Z d to the side or end rails of the main frame, and preferably on the same pivots upon which the reversible top B is pivoted, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. By giving to said arms D D projections (Z (Z of suitable length beyond the front face of the cabinet the open front of said cabinet is closely shut by the top B, when the cabinet and top are in the book-rest posit-ion, (shown in Figs. 2 and 6,) and by additionally providing a stop limiting the de scent of the desk-cabinet within the main frame the same tight closure of the desk-cabinet is effected and preserved when the device is in the form of a closed table, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4:. Such a stop for limiting the descent of the pivoted desk-cabinet is shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings in the form of a vertical partition E, arranged in the stand-frame parallel with the front rail a thereof between the end rails a and forming withthe front rail and a bottom piece a a convenient receptacle which is accessible when the top Bis held in the inclined position. (Indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6.) The deskcabinet strikes this stop E, as shown in Fig. 4, at the corner of the bottom extension C, which is formed on the cabinet to give a desired depth to the paper-sheet compartments, (seen at the left hand of the cabinet in Fig. 2 but, obviously, any other form of stop for the cabinet may be used.

In order that the top R, which when closed backwardly to form a table-top rests at its rear margin upon the rear rail a of the main frame, may extend equally far at the front of the table, the upper inner portion of the front rail a of the main frame is cut away or beveled off, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and. 6, the bevel given this portion of the front rail being preferably concaved to coincide with the arc in which the extreme front edge of the top B swings,.as illustrated in these figures. The extreme upper edge of the top rail B may be made as thin as desired to lessen the inset of the front edge of the top when the latter is in its closed horizontal position, (shown in Fig. 1,) wherein (in connection with Fig. i) it will be observed that the rear edge of the table-top is given the same inset as the front edge, and the end rails of the main frame are also rabbeted to correspond with the front and rear insets of the top to give the visual effect of a table-top having a slight and uniform inset all around, as shown in Fig. 1. If after determining the best position of the pivots f) b for the reversible top B it is found that the front edge of said top when in its position as a book-rest does not reach the beveled surface of the front rail a of the'main frame, a supplemental strip a may be fastened to the latter to closely proximate the top B in this inclined position, so as to complete the closure of the receptacle Fl, as seen in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, for the exclusion of dust and for preventing the slipping into said receptacle of articles placed upon the bookrest.

The catch device which I have shown (and have found most desirable) is one suitable not only for locking and unlocking the deskcabi net in its elevated position, but also for locking and unlocking the table-top in its rearwardly fully-closed position, the same being shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. In these ligures F is a metal spring-plate, the upper end of which is seen in enlarged front view in Fig. 8 and in side view in Fig. 7, and the lower end of which is also shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, screwed or otherwise attached. to the inner surface of the rear rail a of the main frame. This spring F normally stands with its upper end against the inner surface of the rail a, as indicated in Fig. 7, and it is provided on its front face with a projection F, which at its top forms a shoulder In the preferred construction shown the cabinet is made to carry a longitudinally movable spring-actuated bolt G, which is arranged in the path of the projection F and of its top shoulder f, said bolt G- being also arranged in its supports on the cabinet to have a vibratory movement at its front end. Said front end of the bolt G extends forward in position to be struck by the adjacent margin of the reversible top B, so that a stud g on the front end of the bolt is pressed. up by the top B when the latter is fully opened forwardly, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the stud 9 projects upwardly through an opening in the bottom of the cabinet, where it is accessible to the finger of the person sitting at the desk for the purpose of retracting said bolt G out of engagement with the projection F on the catch, and thus enabling the person from his sitting position to release the cabinet preparatory to lowering it and to the swinging of the top over backwardly into its table-top position. When the top B is partially swung from its forwardly-extended position, so as to clear it from the forward end of the bolt while the bolt is unretracted, the weight of the cabinet of course rests upon the rear end of the bolt, which is still engaged with the shoulder f, and. thereby said bolt is vibrated downwardly at its front end, so as to retract the stud 9 out of position for seizure by the finger, and the desk-cabinet therefore continues to be upheld, while the top B is free to be swung over against the front inclined sur face of said cabinet to form a book-rest, as shown in 6. On the other hand, if the bolt be retracted and held retracted by the finger for a moment while the top B is started upwardly from its forwardly-extended position the cabinet will descend, and the top B may be swung clear over to'form the top of the table.

For the purpose of locking the top B in its extreme liiackward position said top is provided with a recess 2 over which is a suitably-secured keeper 12 The spring-catch plate F is also provided with a projection F rising above the level of the shoulder from the front portion of the projection 11, said projection F having at is upper or free end a beveled catch-hook f adapted to engage with the keeper l), as best shown in Figs. 7 and In fully lowering the top B upon the rear rail (1" of the main frame the keeper, therefore, automatically engages the catchhookf To unlock the top from this catch, the plate F has the upward prolongation f, which also enters the recess Z) in the top B, so that by pressing the finger inwardly against the upper accesible end f of the spring-plate F the top may be unlatched, and by a simultaneous lifting movement of the rear margin of the table-top the latter may be started in its upward and forward swing.

Other forms of catch devices than that herein shown may obviously be employed, and variations may be made in many details of construction without departure from my invention.

W'hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A combined desk, table and book-rest, comprising a stand provided with a pivotal lymounted, reversible top adapted to open out for converting the device from a table into a writing-desk a movable desk-cabinet, normally below the level of said top, and adapted to be elevated when said top is moved from its position as a table-top, said cabinet being constructed to permit of its being covered when in its elevated position by said reversible top, the latter in this position forming an inclined book-rest.

2. A combined desk, table and book-rest, comprising an open main or stand frame, a reversible top mounted in the frame upon pivots located at a distance back of the front edge of the top and of the frame-front, said top closing said frame when. serving as a table-top, and being adapted to swing out wardly on its pivotal supports to convert the table into an open writing-desk; a verticallymovable desk-cabinet within the frame and normally below said top, said cabinet being constructed to be engaged and elevated by said top w ion the latter is swung from its position as a table-top to its outwardly-extended position, and means for supporting said cabinet in its elevated position independently of said top, whereby the latter may be closed back upon the elevated cabinet to form an inclined book-rest.

3. A combined desk, table and book-rest, comprising a substantially rectangular main stand-frame made up of front, rear and side rails; a pivotally-1nounted, reversible top which, when serving as a table-top, has one edge resting on the rear rail with its opposite edge substantially coincident with the upper, inner edge of the front rail, said top having its pivotal supports located at a distance from its last-mentioned edge and being adapted to turn upon said supports for converting the table into a writing-desk; a deskcabinet mounted movably in the frame and normally below said top, the cabinet being arranged to be engaged and lifted by the top when said top is swung over outwardly from its position as a table-top, and means for sup porting the desk-cabinet in its elevated position independently of said top.

4. A combined desk, table and book-rest, comprising a stand-frame provided with a pivotally-mounted, reversible top adapted to open outwardly for converting the table into a writing-desk; a movable desk-cabinet normally below the level of said top, said cabinet being constructed to be engaged and elevated by said top when the latter is opened outwardly; means for supporting said cabinet in its elevated position independently of said top, and means for releasing said supporting means, said releasing means being accessible only when said top is practically in its fully-opened position.

5. A combined desk, table and book-rest, comprising a table or stand provided with a pivotally-mounted, reversible top, said top having its pivotal supports located at a dis tance from its front edge and being constructed to open outwardly for converting the device from a table into a writing-desk; a pivotally-mounted desk-cabinet normally below said top and having its pivotal axis practically coincidentwith the aXis of said top, said cabinet being constructed to be engaged and lifted by thetop when the latter is moved from its closed to its open position, and a latch for supporting said cabinet in its elevated position.

6. A combined desk, table and book-rest, comprising a stand provided with a pivotally-mounted, reversible top adapted to open outwardly for converting the device from a table into a desk, a movable desk-cabinet normally below the level of said top and adapted to be engaged and elevated by said top when the latter is moved from its closed to its fully-opened position, a spring-pressed bolt mounted on said cabinet and a latch at tached to the stand adapted to engage said bolt when the cabinet is in its elevated position, said bolt being located and constructed to be engaged and moved up by said top from an inaccessible to an accessible position.

7. A combined desk, table and book-rest comprising a rectangular stand-frame the front rail of which is beveled at its inner upper portion, a reversible top pivoted to the stand back of the beveled front rail thereof so that, in the swinging movement of said top, its adjacent edge proximates the beveled surface of the rail, a vertically-movable deskcabinet having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined front, when raised, and sustained in this position independently of the pivoted top, whereby the top may be swung baclo Wardly against the desk-cabinet to form" a book rest, and whereby the book rest so In testimony whereof I have hereunto set formed will have'a foot consisting of the bevmy hand in presence of two subscribing Wit- 5 eled portion of the front stanill-rail. f l nesses.

8. In coin ination with t 6 main raine a vertically-movable desk-cabinet and an 1 JOHN MEAKER inclependently-movable pivoted top, of a l/Vitnesses: double latch for both the cabinet and the top, WM. A. SANDS, IO adapted to hold the cabinet in its elevated 1 ARTHUR C. BECKER.

position and to hold the swinging'top in its closed position, substantially as described. 

